1. Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to an apparatus for rendering an object pathogen reduced and, more particularly, to a flexible cover or blanket including a plurality of ultraviolet light sources that, when illuminated, irradiate ultraviolet light onto an object on which the cover is placed.
2. Description of Related Art
Hospitals and other healthcare environments commonly include objects such as infusion pumps, keyboards, bed rails, remote controls, for example, that come into contact with sick patients, medical personnel treating sick patients, or other sources of pathogens. Pathogens transferred to such objects may subsequently spread to different patients and medical personnel unless the surfaces of those objects are properly cleaned and disinfected between uses involving different patients and/or medical personnel.
To clean the surfaces of objects in healthcare environments a towelette moistened with a chemical disinfectant is typically utilized to moisten the surface to be disinfected. The surface must remain moistened for at least three minutes for the disinfectant to adequately deactivate a suitable percentage of the population of pathogens present on the surface, thereby preventing the pathogens from infecting other patients and medical personnel. However, such a process requires a large supply of single-use towelettes, which become waste after each use, and requires the close attention of the person cleaning the surfaces to ensure that the surfaces remain wet with the disinfectant for at least the minimum length of time mandated by the specific towelettes being used. Additionally, many objects are not planar, making it difficult to wet all of the various contours, joints between surface, and other hard-to-reach places with the chemical disinfectant.